Hopper car door actuating mechanism

ABSTRACT

A hopper door operating and locking apparatus for bottom-opening containers, which is especially suited for use in railroad hopper cars. The locking apparatus is a vertically movable frame which, when in the raised position, allows the operating apparatus to open and close the doors, and when in the lowered position, prevents the operating apparatus from opening the doors.

ilnited States Patent Kuzmieki [15] $656M? [451 Apr. 1%, 1972 154]HOPPER CAR DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM [72] Inventor: Roland T. Kuzmicki,Birmingham, Ala. [73] Assignee: United States Steel Corporation [22]Filed: Mar. 24, 1970 [21] Appi. No.: 22,302

[52] US. Cl ..105/240, 49/111,105/251, 105/255, 105/290, 105/308 C,105/308 R, 105/311 [51] lnt.Cl. ..B61d 7/08,B61d 7/18,B61d7/28 [58]Field of Search ..105/240, 251, 255, 290, 308 R, 105/308 C, 311 R, 313;214/58; 49/109, 110, 111,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,470,149 10/1923 Davis..214/58 2,268,290 12/1941 Landis ..105/240 X 780,761 l/1905 Otis3,515,076 6/1970 Aquino 1,077,299 ll/l913 Priebe ..105/240 PrimaryExaminer-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Howard BeltranAttorney-Ralph H. Dougherty [57] ABSTRACT A hopper door operating andlocking apparatus for bottom-- opening containers, which is especiallysuited for use in railroad hopper cars. The locking apparatus is avertically movable frame which, when in the raised position, allows theoperating apparatus to open and close the doors, and when in the loweredposition, prevents the operating apparatus from opening the doors.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 18 1912 SHEET 1 BF 3 INVENTOR.ROLAND T. KUZM/CK/ y )zzw/d/frwq Attorney FATEWEDW 18 I972 3,656,437

SHEET 3 BF 3 l/VVEIVTOR. ROLAND 7. KUZM/CK/ Afforney HOPPER CAR DOORACTUATIING MECHANISM This invention relates to an improved apparatus foroperating hopper doors located at the bottoms of hoppers. Although myinvention is not so limited, it is especially suitable for hopper bottomrailroad cars used to transport raw materials for basic industries, andparticularly for use in steelmaking.

Most known hopper cars have transverse doors with a latching device ateach end of each door, or have several doors on each side of the centersill. These hopper cars require two men working on opposite sides of thecar to open their hopper doors. The men open one door at a time.Material discharges from the portion of the car above the open dooruntil it forrns a bridge over the vacant space above the door. Thisfbridge is broken by poking a rod at it, by shaking the car with a carshaker, by pounding on the sides of the car, or by using an overheadcrane with a clamshell or other appropriate device. All of these methodsare time consuming, and shaking or using a crane involves an additionalcost.

In the case where the doors do not extend transversely across the widthof the car, and when all the doors on one side only have been opened,such car has been known to turn over. This, of course, is extremelydangerous to life and limb.

Whenever hopper doors are warped, bent, or strained, they must berepaired by heating and pounding them back into shape.

I have invented an apparatus for opening and closing hopper doors andfor securing such doors in a closed position,

which apparatus enables one man to unload a hopper car in less time thanknown hopper cars can be unloaded by two men, yet is much safer tooperate than hopper cars available before my invention.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an apparatus forrapid opening and closing of all doors simultaneously on hopper bottomsfor rapid discharge of materials.

It is another object to provide a positive latching mechanism that willnot allow doors to open in transit.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus capable of being operatedby a single individual.

It is also an object to-provide a means for adjusting warped or straineddoors without heating them.

It is another object of my invention to provide an apparatus that can beoperated with a high degree of safety.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a railroad hopper car equipped withmy invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section along line IIII of FIG. 1, showing thelatching mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the lock and lifting arrangement;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternative lifting arrangement; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the door operating mechanism and associatedlinkage.

My invention comprises a manually actuated locking and unlocking systemand an air-operated door opening and closing mechanism. A singleindividual in a standing position can unlock the door, unload the hopperand close and lock the doors in approximately twenty seconds regardlessof the material contained in the hopper.

Referring now to the drawings:

A hopper bottom railroad car (FIG. 1) is equipped with a pair ofhorizontally opposed hopper doors 12. A center sill 13 (FIGS. 2 and 3)runs the length of the car, as is standard in railroad carconstructions. My locking apparatus comprises an operating shaft, a lockframe, a lock frame guide and locking lugs. Operating shaft 15 extendstransversely across the recess between the two hopper bottom areas andhas an operating handle 16 afiixed to one end. A worm gear fixed to theshaft and an operating wheel with associated drive gear could besubstituted for the handle. The shaft 15 is joumaled for rotation inbearings 17 which are fixed to side sills 19 of the car and in bearings18 which are fixed to the center sill. A pair of roller links 21a and21b are welded to shaft 15 and have a hole r adapted to receive a rollerpin 22 which is free to rotate therein. Lock frame 24 includes a topplate 25, two trapezoidal side supports 26 (FIG. 3), four locking lugs27 and two cross members 28 (FIG. 2). Fixed to the top plate of the lockframe is a locking and unlocking cam 30 adapted to receive roller pin22. The lock frame straddles center sill 13. Rotation of shaft 15rotates roller links 21a and 21b and roller pin 22, which moves in cam30 and lifts the lock frame. Movement of the frame is confined to avertical direction by lock frame guides 32 which are fixed to the sidesof center sill 13. The lock frame is normally in a lowered position. Itmust be moved to the raised position before the door operating mechanismcan be activated.

An alternative lifting means is depicted in FIG. 4. A cam 35 is fixed onoperating shaft 15. Cam follower 36 is fixed to the top plate of thelock frame. Rotation of the shaft 15 causes cam 35 to lift the lockframe.

My hopper door operating mechanism (FIG. 5) comprises an air-cylinderactuating means and appropriate linkage. Three-way air valve 40 (shownonly diagrammatically) controls a double-acting air cylinder 41 havingopposed pistons 42a and 42b. Connecting links 44 are pivotally connectedto the piston rods of pistons 42 and to scissor arms 45. Each set ofscissor arms pivot around a respective common axis defined by a pin 46passing through the center of each arm and attached to center sill 13.Each extremity of each scissor arm carries an adjustable connecting link48, shown as a turnbuckle, the other end of which is fastened to an eye49 in hopper door 12. Whenever door 12 is warped or strained, ad-

justment of the appropriate link or links will return the door to theproper configuration. Operating air valve 40 actuates air cylinder 41forcing pistons 42 outward, thus causing links 44 to pivot scissor arms45 in opposite directions about pin 46, causing links 48 to open hopperdoors 12 simultaneously. Activating cylinder 41 in the oppositedirection causes the process to be reversed and the doors to close.

The doors are locked in the closed position by rotating operating handle16 causing the lock frame 24 to move vertically downward and lockinglugs 27 to be seated in notches 50 located on scissor arms 45. Thelocking lugs and notches can be tapered to prevent frictional forcesfrom resisting the un- Iatching action, and to lift the lock frame ifthe air cylinder should be actuated to close the doors with the lockframe in the lowered position. When the lock frame is raised, thelocking lugs clear the notches to allow the scissor arms to pivot asalready described.

From the foregoing description it is readily apparent that I haveinvented a rapid opening and closing door mechanism that can be operatedsafely by a single individual, and a positive latching mechanism thatwill not allow the hopper doors to open in transit.

Iclaim:

l. A combination with a container having opposed doors on its bottom ofan operating mechanism for actuating said doors, said mechanismcomprising;

an actuating means,

a pair of scissor arms pivoted to said container,

a first pair of links connecting said actuating means to each of saidscissor arms adjacent the pivot point of said scissor arms, and

a second pair of links on each of said scissor arms connecting saidscissor arms to respective doors.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said first links arepivotally connected to said actuating means, said scissor arms arepivotally joined to a fixed member and to each other, one end of each ofsaid second connecting links is fastened to each end of each scissorarm, and the other end of each of said second connecting links isfastened to a door.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said actuating means isa piston driven by an air cylinder.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 further comprising a lock frame,means for raising and lowering said lock frame, and locking lugsdepending from said lock frame adapted for engagement with said scissorarms.

5. A combination as defined in claim 4 in which said means comprises anoperating shaft, a cam fixed to said shaft, a cam follower fixed to saidlock frame and means for rotating said shaft.

6. A combination as defined in claim 4 including guide means attached toa fixed member for confining movement of said lock frame to a verticaldirection.

7. A combination as defined in claim 4 in which said means comprises anoperating shaft journaled for rotation in bearings depending from afixed member, a roller link having a hole therein and fixed to saidshaft, a roller pin inserted in said hole and free to rotate therein, alocking and unlocking cam fixed to said lock frame and adapted toreceive said roller pin, and means for rotating said shaft and thusraising and lowering said lock frame.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7 in which said lastnamed means isa handle fixed to said shaft for manual manipulation.

9. In a railway hopper car having opposed doors on its bottom of anoperating mechanism for actuating said doors, said mechanism comprising;

an actuating means,

a pair of scissor arms pivoted to said car,

a first pair of links connecting said actuating means to each of saidscissor arms adjacent the pivot point of said scissor arms, and

a second pair of links on each of said scissor arms connection ends ofsaid scissor anns to respective doors.

10. A railway hopper car as defined in claim 9 further comprising a lockframe slidably engaging said car, means for raising and lowering saidlock frame, and locking lugs depending from said lock frame adapted forengagement with said scissor arms.

1. A combination with a container having opposed doors on its bottom ofan operating mechanism for actuating said doors, said mechanismcomprising; an actuating means, a pair of scissor arms pivoted to saidcontainer, a first pair of links connecting said actuating means to eachof said scissor arms adjacent the pivot point of said scissor arms, anda second pair of links on each of said scissor arms connecting saidscissor arms to respective doors.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1in which said first links are pivotally connected to said actuatingmeans, said scissor arms are pivotally joined to a fixed member and toeach other, one end of each of said second connecting links is fastenedto each end of each scissor arm, and the other end of each of saidsecond connecting links is fastened to a door.
 3. A combination asdefined in claim 1 in which said actuating means is a piston driven byan air cylinder.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 1 furthercomprising a lock frame, means for raising and lowering said lock frame,and locking lugs depending from said lock frame adapted for engagementwith said scissor arms.
 5. A combination as defined in claim 4 in whichsaid means comprises an operating shaft, a cam fixed to said shaft, acam follower fixed to said lock frame and means for rotating said shaft.6. A combination as defined in claim 4 including guide means attached toa fixed member for confining movement of said lock frame to a verticaldirection.
 7. A combination as defined in claim 4 in which said meanscomprises an operating shaft journaled for rotation in bearingsdepending from a fixed member, a roller link having a hole therein andfixed to said shaft, a roller pin inserted in said hole and free torotate therein, a locking and unlocking cam fixed to said lock frame andadapted to receive said roller pin, and means for rotating said shaftand thus raising and lowering said lock frame.
 8. A combination asdefined in claim 7 in which said last-named means is a handle fixed tosaid shaft for manual manipulation.
 9. In a railway hopper car havingopposed doors on its bottom of an operating mechanism for actuating saiddoors, said mechanism comprising; an actuating means, a pair of scissorarms pivoted to said car, a first pair of links connecting saidactuating means to each of said scissor arms adjacent the pivot point ofsaid scissor arms, and a second pair of links on each of said scissorarms connection ends of said scissor arms to respective doors.
 10. Arailway hopper car as defined in claim 9 further comprising a lock frameslidably engaging said car, means for raising and lowering said lockframe, and locking lugs depending from said lock frame adapted forengagement with said scissor arms.